


Braids

by knightinmourning



Series: Ineffable Husbands Bingo Fills [4]
Category: Good Omens
Genre: Bathing/Washing, F/M, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Hair Braiding, M/M, Multi, Non-Sexual Intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 07:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19988374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinmourning/pseuds/knightinmourning
Summary: Crowley gets muddy, and while miracling clean is convenient, it doesn't beat a nice bath, especially when his angel promises to play with his hair after.





	Braids

**Author's Note:**

> For the "Fluff" square of the Ineffable Husbands bingo.

One of the disadvantages to living in the middle of nowhere was that sometimes, when you were walking along the road, minding your own business, a very large truck drove passed and sprayed you with mud.

At least, Aziraphale thought, it was Crowley and not him who was covered head to toe in dirt and the scummy water of deep puddles that had been sitting for a few days.

They were just starting to stink, too.

Crowley didn’t speak when it happened, but Aziraphale could see the corners of his eyes tighten under his sunglasses, and he was quick to diffuse the situation.

“Crowley, no, you don’t need to miracle them out of existence just because they splashed you. Here, let me help,” Aziraphale said, taking the opportunity before Crowley did something rash to miracle the demon clean. “There. Good as new.”

“Still there in spirit, Angel.”

“Let’s go home, then, and I’ll clean you up.”

Crowley stopped walking for a moment to stare. “Oh?”

Then the demon was next to him again, long legs letting him catch up with little effort. In the quiet of the country, he pulled his glasses off to look Aziraphale in the eye as they walked. “And what, exactly? Does that entail?”

“You’ll see.”

They made it home in record time, Crowley walking just a little faster with Aziraphale’s promise in his head. Once they were inside and the door was shut behind them, Crowley leaned against the wall in the entryway and waited for Aziraphale to remove his shoes.

“Alright, let’s do this, then. To the bathroom with you,  _ foul demon _ ,” Aziraphale scrunched his nose, and Crowley realized then that though the angel had managed to miracle off most of the mud and water, there was still a faint odor lingering around him. Such were the limits of celestial powers, he supposed.

Both of them entered the master bathroom off of the bedroom, which was marginally larger than the other bathroom in the cottage, but still not built to hold two adult-male-shaped beings. Aziraphale closed the door behind him, and then took one edge of Crowley’s coat in his hands, turning him as he pulled it off of his shoulders.

The shirt came next, and then his pants, underwear, and socks. Finally, he slid the sunglasses off of Crowley’s face, leaning in for a kiss as he did so, his tongue slipping between Crowley’s lips.

Crowley was grinning when he pulled away. “Cute, Angel, but I think we both know you wouldn’t even begin to consider fucking me when I smell like this.”

“No, you’re quite right. We need to take care of that first. In you go.” Aziraphale motioned to the bathtub, which was now, courtesy of another miracle, filled with water.

He offered a hand to Crowley, who took it and used it to guide himself down to a seat in the bath. The water was warm on his skin, and he settled back against the edge of the tub, content to relax. Beside him, Aziraphale was removing his jacket and hanging it up, before rolling up his sleeves and kneeling beside the tub.

Dipping a washcloth into the water by Crowley’s knee, he scrubbed gently, first, at Crowley’s chest. The soap on the cloth must have been miracled, since Crowley knew they didn’t keep any sort of body soap in the house. This one smelled somewhat sweet, but wasn’t overly strong as it passed over the base of Crowley’s neck, and was gentle against his skin. He sighed at the sensations, letting his eyes fall closed and his head tilt back.

The washcloth disappeared and water poured over his chest, washing away the soap and whatever scum might be left on his skin.

He shuddered a moment later when Aziraphale’s soft hands pulled his right arm from the water, giving it the same treatment as his chest. Startling back up to a seat, he looked over to the angel to see a soft smile on his lips.

“You can sleep, you know. If you’d like. I’ll let you know when I need you to move.”

“Mmm.” Crowley didn’t sleep, didn’t want to miss this for anything, the tender touch of Aziraphale something he’d come to relish over the centuries. That he finally, after so long, could feel it so freely given, was a joy he would not pass up. Not even for a nap. He did, however, let his eyes drift back shut as Aziraphale cleaned first one arm and then the other.

He moved lower, after the second arm, and Crowley let his legs rest against either side of the tub, unashamed as Aziraphale manipulated and cleaned his stomach, groin, and legs.

There was nothing sexual about this for either of them, just such raw care and love that Crowley didn’t really know how to handle it. Demons weren’t supposed to experience this, weren’t supposed to have relationships with sweet angels who wanted nothing more than to support and be supported.

A wet hand touched his face, wiping at his cheek. He hadn’t even felt the tears fall, but as Aziraphale cupped his face, he didn’t mind.

The words slipped out of him without him thinking about it. “I love you.”

It came in a breathy sigh, such a spur of the moment response that he’d taken himself by surprise. Crowley had never been the sort of person to  _ tell _ someone what he thought of them. It was more than enough to make Aziraphale a nice dinner, gift him an old book, or wrap himself around him in bed and shower him with touches. Before he could react, though, say something more, Aziraphale’s lips were pressing into his temple.

And just like that, everything was okay.

Hands pressed his back up and away from the back of the tub as Aziraphale got to work washing it, long, deep strokes that massaged the tense flesh of Crowley’s back. He shifted, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs so that his back was more exposed, the skin stretching over the curve of his spine.

When Aziraphale stopped this time, Crowley didn’t even move, his forehead resting on his knees so that his long hair draped over the top of his shoulders, legs, and back. Water poured over his head, wetting his hair, and Aziraphale’s hands carded through the strands, working their way to the scalp. They left against quickly and Crowley shuddered again at the loss, but the smell of almond oil drifted to his nose as Aziraphale’s hands returned, massaging his head and working the shampoo in.

Crowley let himself drift, Aziraphale’s hands on his head pushing him into a more relaxed state than he’d been in for a very long time.

Sometime later, a hand was pulling his hair back behind his ear and lips settled beside it. “All done, love. You can stay in if you want, or we can dry you off and get to work on your hair.”

“Have plans for my hair, do you?”

“You’ll see.”

Crowley unravelled and took Aziraphale’s offered hand again to get out of the tub. A fluffy, black towel appeared as he stood, wrapping itself around his shoulders and he took the opportunity to dry himself and slip into a robe (also black, also miracled) while Aziraphale dug through their cabinet. He closed it a moment later, a brush and a ring of hair ties in his hand.

They sat on the bed, Crowley on the edge and Aziraphale cross-legged behind him, and Aziraphale started with the brush, running it down Crowley’s hair with just enough pressure. He worked out the knots slowly, sometimes even dropping the brush and working the hair with his hands, until everything was smooth and straight.

Parting Crowley’s hair to one side, Aziraphale starts on his masterpiece. Over the past few years, he’s been learning how to do a variety of hairstyles, testing them out on Crowley when he thinks he’s got it. They’re always incredible and often intricate work, and Crowley loves to see the results.

And show them off on a dinner date.  _ Where should we go tonight? The Ritz again? Maybe we’ll try that new sushi place…. _

Tonight, whatever Aziraphale’s doing begins on the thick side of Crowley’s part and  _ feels _ complicated. As he weaves the hair together, he works up and around Crowley’s head.

He starts another braid in front of the first, and eventually interlaces the two of them, running them down so they rest over Crowley’s shoulder. A hair tie finishes the design, and then Aziraphale miracles a mirror in front of him so he can see it.

The look isn’t dissimilar to a Dutch braid Aziraphale had tried on him before, wrapping around the side of Crowley’s face and resting against his neck. Without his glasses, he could have passed for a mermaid, or something else otherworldly in its beauty. As it was, he reached over and pulled the glasses on, completing his usual demonic look.

Something wasn’t quite right, though. The look was beautiful, but he wasn’t  _ him _ anymore.

To complete the ensemble, Crowley miracles herself a black dress with lace sleeves that fall down to her knees and a pair of high heels as she feels something shift and then settle in her mind.

Looking over herself once more in the mirror, Crowley turned to Aziraphale. “So, what do you think?”

“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I would like very much to take you for dinner and drinks.”

She practically purred at his words. “Anywhere you want to go, Angel.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments appreciated :)
> 
> [This is the braid Aziraphale put in Crowley's hair.](http://missysue.com/2015/01/double-dutch-merged-side-braid/)
> 
> [This is the dress she miracles for herself.](https://www.izidress.com/product/dilanni-womens-vintage-1950s-lace-3-4-sleeve-black-lace-flare-a-line-dress/)
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [knightinmourning42](http://knightinmourning42.tumblr.com)


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